Knitting machine



K. MAlER KNITTING MAC Original Filed April 12, 1957 6 Sheets-She 1 Aprfl 24, 1945. K. MAIER 2,374,294

O riginal Filed April 12, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 24,1945.

' K. MAIER 'KNIT'IING MACHINE Original Filed April 12,

1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 24, 1945. K. MAIER KNITTING MACHINE v Original Filed April 12, 1937 6 Sheets-Shet 5 April 1945- K. MAlEl 2,374,294

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed April 12, 193'! 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Apr. 24, 1945 KNITTING MACHINE Karl Maier, Troyes, France; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Original application April 12, 1937, Serial No. 136,411. Divided and this application August 8, 1939, Serial No. 289,057. In France April 11,

8 Claims.

The present application, which is a division of my U. S. Patent No. 2,190,409, filed April 12, 1937, relates to non-ravelling hosiery and the manufacture thereof, and more especially to an auxiliary presser attachment adapted to operate in conjunction with flat knitting frames.

Various systems of interlocking the loops have already been suggested for ensuring a special connection between them and thus obtaining a practically non-ravelling article. But these suggestions involve serious drawbacks in that they permit of obtaining the desired result only to a limited degree because the articles knitted according to these methods no longer have the smooth aspect of ordinary knitted goods and lose the elasticity which characterizes knitted goods, or because the carrying out of these methods calls for a fitting of the frame with devices which are difiicult to adapted to said rectilinear frames and in particular to the cotton frame, whereby said methods cannot be used for practical purposes.

The knitted fabric produced when employing the disclosed apparatus is free from the first mentioned drawback in that it has a smooth appearance while keeping a satisfactory elasticity.

Furthermore, the manufacture of the knitted fabric requires but an easymodification of the frame. For instance the latter may be completed on the one hand by an auxiliary presser member, disposed parallelly to the usual presser member, which is kept without any modification in its form or its operation, on the other hand by a series of small blades or swinging parts disposed opposite each needle, between the latter and the usual presser member, said swinging parts being carried by the frame of the knocking ver bits. Furthermore, the knocking over bits are subjected to a slight modification in order to create behind the existing throat a notch or second throat. This particular arrangement of the frame, which can easily be provided has not the above mentioned drawback and it permits a practical construction and use.

Other features of the present inventionwill result from the following detailed description of some specific embodiments thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, opposite a needle, showing the arrangement of the different members necessary forearrying out the present invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are views, analogous to Fig. 1, some parts being in a different position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the auxiliary presser member.

Fig. 5 is a perspective diagrammatical view showing how the elements shown by Fi 1 are controlled.

Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatical views illustrating two different relative positions of the parts of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a general view in section of the frame showing the means for forming the loop and how these means are controlled, and

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional View showing the various parts which are diagrammatically'illustrated by Fig. 5.

Adverting 'to Fig. 5, the drawing shows the elements of a flat frame of the Cotton type, to wit: the needle I, sinker 2, knocking over bit 3, D esser member 4.

According to the present invention, the frame is completed by a second presser member, or

auxiliary presser 5, and by a series of small' blades or swinging parts 6. Each of these blades is located opposite a needle and can pivot about axis 1 in the direction of arrow F under the action of the presser member 5 and against the action of spring 8. The axis l is carried by the frame la of the knocking over bits.

The drive of the presser member is obtained in the following manner:

Arms 9 (Figs. 1 and 5) connect presser member 5 to levers ID keyed on a shaft II. This shaft H is subjected to the action of a cam 12 through the medium of the lever l3, pivoted at M. This lever I3 is articulated at I 5 to a link l6 which is pivotally connected at [8 to a lever I1 is keyed on shaft H, so that said shaft II is given a reciprocating oscillatory motion which produces the forward and rearward movement of the presser member 5, which thus acts on blades 6 for tipping them in the direction of arrow F.

Shaft H is further subjected to a translatory movement inthe direction of its axis, said movement being produced by the action of a wedge cam 19 acting upon roller 20,. This cam 19 is displaced vertically by the action of the cam 21, fixed at with respect to cam l2 on the same shaft 22. The movement is transmittedthrough arm 23, pivoted at 25, connected through its end 25 with the link and lever structure 2621, articulated at 28, lever 21 being keyed on shaft 29 and driving cam 30 in connection with roller 3 the support of which is connected through'a link transmission-32-33 with 'the'cam: I s capable of sliding in slideway 34. A spring 35 ensures the return pf shaft I I and keeps roller in contact with cam I9.

Of course, the connection between shaft I I and lever I1 is such as to permit the free sliding in the longitudinal direction of said shaft II.

A disc 36, on which roller 31 runs normally, is juxtaposed to cam 2I and a suitable control permits of displacing lever 23 laterally for bringing roller 31 into a position in which it runs on cam 36, in order to bring into action cam and thus to produce the translatory motion of shaft I I.

The control of roller 31 can be carried out as follows:

A lever 38 is pivoted at 39 and is connected to a shaft 40 at one of the ends of which there is pivotally mounted a bell crank lever 4|, pivoted at 42. The arm 43 of this lever can be lifted by a boss 44 carried by an endless chain 45 which is given a suitable translatory movement.

As it will be readily understood, boss 44, when meeting arm 43, causes lever 38 to pivot against the action of return sprin 46, in such manner that roller 31 is brought into coaction with cam 2I (Fig. 5).

The auxiliary presser member 5 (Fig. 5) has its front edge (on the side carrying swinging members 6) provided with teeth as it is visible on the plan view of Fig. 4. The pitch of these teeth is such that opposite the respective swing-- ing members 6, there is alternately a tooth 48 and a hollow 49.

Swinging members 5 are each terminated, as shown by Fig. 1, by a nose 50 arranged opposite the usual presser member 4-. It is through these noses 50 that the needles are pressed, that is to say that the ends of their beards are driven into their eyes.

According to the invention, and in addition to the new members above described, the knocking over bits 3 are of particular shape in that they are completed by a throat 5I, provided behind the ordinary throat 52 and in line with nib 53.

pressed, that is to say the beards of said needles,

when meeting with the front edge of the presser member, are driven into the eyes of said needles,

presser member 5 acting upon swinging members 6 and this presser member 5 is toothed and'con-' sequently acts upon every second swinging member.

It follows that, durin the downward movement of the needles, only needle I will be pressed, during its downward movement whereas alternate needle Ia will not be pressed. Needle I is pressed as a consequence of the fact that presser member 5 (Fig. 1) has been given a forward movement in the direction of arrow F, this movement being produced by the action of the cam I2, Fig. 5.

The general view of Fig. 1 shows the elements of the frame when needle I is pressed by the action of the auxiliary presser member 5.

The function of the needles is determined by the action of the presser member 5 which is displacedin the direction of its lonigtudinal axis, by the action of the cam 2| and of cam I9. The length of this displacement is of course equal to the width of the teeth 48 of presser 5 in such manner that said teeth instead of being located opposite the needles I are now located opposite needles Ia.

Thus it is seen that an independently movable press element 6 is provided for each needle, which element is normally positioned between the edge 4 and the heard of the associated needle. The teeth in the movable actuating member 5 being disposed opposite alternate elements, will therefore close only alternate needle beards during the knitting of a course; but prior to knitting a succeeding course the member 5 may be shifted longitudinally of the needle row to close only the intermediate needle beards.

It will be readily understood that it is possible to make knitted fabrics according to any desired arrangement with the elements above described, with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 5. As a matter of fact, the looping is a function partly of the longitudinal and transverse movements of the auxiliary presser member 5 and these movements can be modified at will through the action of cams I2 and 2I, which can be brought into play at the proper time.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be practical and efiicient embodiments of the present invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fiat knitting machine having a press edge and also having a row of needles movable as a whole in the direction of their length with respect to said press edge, an auxiliar presser comprising a pivoted press element for each of said needles, the free end of each element being normally disposed between said edge and the beard of the associated needle, and means for pressing the free ends of alternate press elements against the beards of the corresponding needles during the knitting of a course to thereby close .the corresponding needle beards.

2. In a flat knitting machine having a press edge and also having a row of needles movable as a whole in the direction of their length with respect to said press edge, an auxiliary presser comprising an independently movable press element for each of said needles, each element being normally disposed between said edge and the beard of the associated needle, and means for means engageable with alternate press elements while in a first position, means for shifting said actuating means longitudinally of said needle row to a second position and into engageable relation with the remaining press elements-and means for moving said actuating means during the knitting of successive courses and while in each of said two respective positions, against the associated press elements whereby the corresponding needle beards will be closed.

4. In a fiat knitting machine having a press edge and also having a row of needles movable as a whole in the direction of their length with respect to said press edge, an auxiliary presser comprising an independently movable press element for each of said needles, each element being normally positioned between said edge and the beard of the associated needle, actuating means engageable with alternate press elements while in a first position, means for shifting said actuating means longitudinally of said needle row to a second position and into engageable relation with the remaining press elements, and means for moving said actuating means during the knitting of successive courses and While in each of said two respective positions, against the associated press elements whereby the corresponding needle beards will be closed.

5. In a fiat knitting machine having a press edge and also having a row of needles movable as a whole in the direction of their length with respect to said press edge, an auxiliary presser comprising a pivoted press element for each of said needles, the free end of each element being normally disposed between said edge and the heard of the associated needle, and a member having teeth therein for pressing the free ends of alternate press elements against the beards of th c r sp ndin needles during the knitting of a course to thereby close the corresponding needle beards.

6. In a flat knitting machine having a, press edge and also having a row of needles movable as a whole in the direction of their length with respect to said press edge, an auxiliary presser comprising an independently movable press element for each of said needles, each element ,be-

ing normally disposed between said edge and the beard of the associated needle, and a member having teeth therein for moving alternate press elements against the beards of the corresponding needles during the knitting of a course to thereby close the corresponding needle beards.

7. In a fiat knitting machine having a press edge and also having a row of needles movable as a whole in the direction of their length with respect to said press edge, an auxiliary presser comprising a pivoted press element for each of said'needles, the free end of each element beinb normally positioned between said edge and the heard of the associated needle, a bar having teeth therein for engaging alternate press elements while in a first position, means for shifting said toothed bar longitudinally of said needle row to a second position and into engageable relation with the remaining press elements, and means for moving said bar during the knitting of successive courses and while in each of said two respective positions, against the'associated press elements, whereby the corresponding needle beards will be closed.

8. In a flat knitting machine having a press edge and also having a row of needles movable as a whole in the direction of their length with respect to said press edge, an auxiliary presser comprising an independently movable press element for each of said needles, each element being normally positioned between said edge and the heard of the associated needle, a bar having teeth therein for engaging alternate press elements while in a first position, means for shifting said toothed bar longitudinally of said needle row to a second position and into engageable relation with the remaining press elements,

and means for moving said bar during the knit-- ting of successive courses and while in each of said two respective positions, against the associated press elements, whereby the corresponding needle beards will be closed.

KARL MAIER. 

